I wanna be different. I wanna be changed​'til all of me is gone and all that remainsis a fire so bright the whole world can seethat there's something different​So come and be different in me​-Micah Tyler's song Different

To me, believing in God means more than just saying you have faith. It's more than just Sundays at church. To me, believing in God, means living for God, representing Jesus with everything you do, letting Him pour Himself into every aspect of your life. That's how I try to live my life and at my school, I've been dubbed a "goodie-two-shoes" because of it.

​I hear all my peer's stories about the parties they went to the weekend before and how drunk they got. I hear stories of sexual conquests, and smoking weed. I hear about them lying to their parents and getting into fights. I hear all of these reckless and crazy stories, and I'm so glad I don't do any of it. Most of the time, they're stories end badly. The drunk party left them with a hangover that would kill a bear. The sexual conquest ends in heart break for one of the two involved. They're parents caught them in the lie. I don't want to have stories like that. I don't believe that's not how God wants me to live.

​But there's a small part of me that sometimes gets tired of being "miss perfect", "miss try hard". I don't always like being the "goodie-two-shoes". Everyone else is out living life to the 'fullest' doing whatever they want whenever they want. They get drunk and party. They smoke weed and cuss constantly. They have sex and flaunt they're bodies. They drive recklessly on the highway. I know it's silly, but sometimes I'm jealous. They can do all of that and not feel guilty about it.

​Then, there's me. I've always wondered what I would be like drunk. I know it's silly and stupid. But, would I be annoying? Would I spout off random facts? How long would it take me to get drunk? How many beers would it take? Would the taste of beer eventually become appealing?

​What would it be like to sneak out in the middle of the night? Would I be able to pull it off? Would my parents find out? Would I be able to lie well enough to not get caught? What would I even sneak out to do? Party? Maybe. Probably not.

​Would people find me more interesting, more relatable if I did these things? Would they ignore me less? Would they stop making me an outcast? The answer is yes. I would be more relatable. No I wouldn't be as ignored. But doing those crazy things, living that way, it would make me fade into the sea of faces. I wouldn't be different anymore. I wouldn't be living my life for God. My life wouldn't resemble the life of Jesus. I wouldn't be different. I wouldn't be set apart.

​My biggest goal in life is to love, trust, and have faith in God. I believe that the only way to truely do that is to live like Jesus did. And no. I'm not saying I'm perfect. What I'm saying is that I try to the best of my ability to do everything as if I were doing it for God and not for man. Because that's what it says in the Bible (Col. 3:23). I want to live in a way that people look at me and see Jesus. I want people to see me and only see God. I want people to glance at my life and say "Man, there's just something different about her."

In Jeremiah 7:1-11, we learn that the people of Judah were kind of slacking. They were idolizing other gods. They were exploiting innocent people. They were being lustful and corrupt. They were doing all of this only to turn around and come crawling back to fulfil their "duties" to God. So in other words, they were just going through the motions. They wanted all the things God promised them, but they didn't want to have to live by His standards. So they lived by their own and did only what they had to do in order to seem as though they were still following God. They were under the impression that as long as they did what "needed" to be done, then they would be ok. They would still be right with God. The people of Judah were putting up a front. They were being...well, like the people of today.

Christians today are not really know to be very "Christ-like". The number one thing Christians are known for in our society is to be hypocrites. There are many people who say they are Christians, but their actions say otherwise. They are following the Bible on Sundays at church. But as soon as those church doors are open and the other church goers aren't looking its back to doing whatever they want to: cussing and drinking and smoking and well that's kind of extreme but you get my point.

This is how the people in Jeremiah's time were living. The problem with living like this is that it causes people to forget about one very important aspect: Our Hearts. The problem with living like this is that God doesn't want robots that follow His every command because they think they have to in order to be saved. God's love, His forgiveness can't be earned in that way. God desires something entirely different.

In Jeremiah 7:22 God says, "When I lead your ancestors out of Egypt, it was not burnt offerings and sacrifices I wanted from them." God doesn't want us to stumble through the motions. That was never what He intended. He wants us to follow Him whole-heartedly. He wants us to wake up everyday and say, "I choose Jesus. I choose God." God gave us free will so that we could make the choice to follow Him. He didn't want to force us into anything. God wants a real relationship with us. He want's both, our hearts and our actions, to be dedicated to Him. It doesn't work if we only give God one of the two.

Our hearts are very important. If we don't put our heart into what we do in life, then we are left empty, stumbling our way through many of life's challenges. God wants us to put our hearts into following Him. Being as He gave His son so that we could be forgiven, I'd say that's not too much to ask. ​

On August 22, I start school again. It's my senior year. It's a year of new beginnings and bitter sweet endings. And I've got to admit. I'm definitely dreading the beginning of school, because it is school. But, I'm also excited. I get to see my friends, and I get to start some college level courses. Plus, this year, I'm doing a work study program. This pretty much means that I am only going to school for 5 hours then I'm going be going to work at the clinic! That will be my life everyday! I'm so excited. This will also help me run for the FFA vet. proficiency award, and of course it also gives me more experience in the clinic. So I guess I am mostly excited.

​Though there is one major thing that I'm really dreading. Alex is leaving for college the Saturday before my school starts. I'll only see him every other weekend. It's going to really suck because he is my best friend. I tell him everything, and all I want after a long day of work is a big hug from him. He's just become apart of my routine. I talk to him everyday. Now he'll be an hour and a half away. I don't know I'm probably just being a clingy girlfriend right now, but I'm soooo going to miss seeing him almost everyday and hanging out with him.

​And of course, I'm also dreading graduating and moving away from all the kids that I've grown up with my whole life. I'm going to go to a huge college where I know basically no one. And that's scary. But I'm also excited. It's going to be new territory, a new beginning. So I'll keep you updated.

1. God. If you love God, you definitely have my heart. There is nothing more attractive than a person who gets down on their knees to pray when they need to solve a problem. There is nothing more attractive than a person who tries to live out the Word in their everyday life. I think the most attractive thing a person could possibly do is talk about their faith in God. I don't know what it is, but it just sings to my soul, and makes me sooo very happy.

2. Dogs. Or animals in general, but mostly dogs. I'm kind of obsessed with them. Especially puppies. I love puppies. They're so innocent and precious. I just want to take them all home. (And trust me, when I was little, I tried.) They have those big ole eyes and that super soft puppy fur... They're so energetic and cute. They make my heart melt. And then they grow up and they become your best friend and never leave your side. They play with you and listen to you and hang out with you. And the best part is, they're always down for a nap even if your not. They are the most loving creatures of all time and I love them.

3. Dancing in the road in the middle of the night under a star filled sky. I know. It's so cheesy. But by golly is it fun. The stars are so beautiful, and they make everything else beautiful too. But it doesn't just have to be limited to dancing in the middle of the night. It really comes down to whether or not you can put up with me. I'm kind of weird and spontaneous. I do some crazy things like dancing at stop lights and making up my own lyrics when I don't know the song. I like to dance under a star filled sky and ask deep questions. I love being a dork and making no sense sometimes. I like to be different and if you can put up with that, you have my heart.

​4. Chocolate. Yes, I know. Typical girl. But man you put that chocolate in my hands and I will love you forever. I have a big bowl of Dove chocolate sitting on my bedside table at all times, The moment I start getting remotely low, I go buy more. I always have chocolate because if I run out, it's a bad deal. I crave chocolate like no other, and I have to eat at least one piece everyday. My Nana tells me that chocolate makes your clothes shrink. And you know, I think that is the only problem with it.

​5. Food. Let me just tell you about my eating habits. I eat constantly all day. During school, I pack my lunch in a HUGE lunch box. But I also pack snacks for every single class in that lunch box too. I also out eat my 6'7" brother, my boyfriend (Alex), and my dad on a regular basis at meals. For this last Thanksgiving, Alex took me to his family's get to gather, and there was so much food it was fantastic. I walked in the door and they told me not to be bashful (little did I know Alex had been bragging about how much I ate..). So I definitely wasn't going to hold back (never tell a girl who likes to eat not to be bashful). I loaded down my first plate, and my second plate, and ate some of Alex's food, and went back for deserts. I ate About a plate and a half more than he did, and he'll probably never hear the end of it and neither will I. So, we'll just say that the way to my heart is through my stomach.

I was seven years old and full of energy. In my socked feet, I flew up the stairs and skidded to a stop on the wood floor only long enough to change directions and race to the living room. Grandpa was sitting in his blue chair watching an old black and white western. Grandma was in the kitchen pulling out the No Bake Cookie Pan.

​"I told you she'd come up when she heard me in the kitchen." Grandma grinned at Grandpa who playfully rolled his eyes at her.

​"All she wants is your food." He bellows a laugh as if my want of food is hilarious.

​Grandma ignores him and looks to me. "I'm going to make some no bakes before I head to the store. Do you want to help?"

​"Of course!" I dance into the kitchen as she retrieves all the ingredients from the cabinets. Pulling over the little step stool Grandma keeps around for us kids, I watch as she lays wax paper out on the counter. I place the stool to one side of the stove and stand on it, glancing into the pan on the burner. We begin adding a little of this and a dab of that until the substance starts to boil. I stir until Grandma tells me its time to place the cookies on the wax paper to cool. I leave that to her and head back to the living room to find Grandpa.

​"What you watching?" I ask.

​"An old one. This one is my favorite." He smiles and pats his lap. "Come watch it with me?"

​"You say all of them are your favorite," I whisper as I climb into the chair with him. Once in his lap, as devious grin takes ahold of my face, and I pinch his oxygen cord between my fingers. He sticks out his tongue and opens his eyes wide. A giggle escapes my lips and I let go of the cord.

​"You better not be a nuisance while I watch this movie," He says, tickling my sides.

Grandma walks through the room with her purse in hand, telling us that she's heading to the store. "You two better behave while I'm gone. Sam, you're in charge. Don't eat all the cookies." And she closed the front door.

​Five minutes later, Grandpa pokes my side and motions into the kitchen. I nod my head and laugh as I slide from his lap. I dig around in the cabinets until I find a bowl big enough. I place the container on the counter and set aside two cookies for Grandma. I gently place the rest in the bowl and take them back to Grandpa. He holds the bowl while I climb back into his lap. We eat a cookie at a time until they're gone, and not a moment after the last cookie is gone does grandma walk into the room.

​She sees the chocolate on my face and knows exactly what we've done. "I told you not to let him eat all the cookies Sam!"

​I smile. "He didn't eat all of them. I ate some too!" Grandma laughs and tosses me a rag to wipe my face. "There's two on the counter for you!" I holler at her as I turn back to the western movie.

​1. I like to draw. ​I mostly draw nature and animals, but I also like self portraits. I'm kind of bad at drawing people though, so that doesn't happen often. (I once tried to draw my best friend, but she ended up looking like a witch.) My favorite mediums are charcoal and chalk. Drawing is one of my favorite past times because it calms my soul and makes me feel so peaceful. I absolutely enjoy it.

​2. I didn't learn how to ride my bike until I was eight-years-old.​I was not a very brave child. I was terrified of everything, especially riding my bike without training wheels. My parents tried to help me for years. From like age four on. They'd hold onto the back of my bike seat and run with me down the road. But the moment I noticed they let go, I stopped pedaling and crashed every time. I wore out four pairs of knee and elbow pads. But my parents never gave up. Around my eighth birthday, my dad finally took my training wheels off for good. He threw them away and told me I was going to have to learn because I wasn't going to have training wheels in life. He told me that some things were scary and hard, but we had to do them anyways. About two weeks later, we went to my grandma's farm and took my bike with us. While everyone was inside talking, I pulled my bike out and walked it into the middle of the yard. As my little feet rested on the pedals, I closed my eyes. I didn't want to watch if I crashed. I started pedaling, faster and faster. The bike wobbled and I started to lose balance. I opened my eyes and straightened it out. And that's when I realized I was actually riding my bike. At the age of eight, I had finally conquered the bike.

3. I have a favorite sibling.​This is mostly because I only have one sibling, but he is definitely my favorite. (Though, I don't know if he would say the same thing about me...) He is six and a half feet tall and so wide that he doesn't always fit through doorways. He wears size 17 shoes. (I personally think that my mom had a normal sized baby boy that was stolen away in the middle of the night and replaced by a baby giant.) Anyhow, he is a pretty great guy. As annoying and dumb as he may be sometimes, I don't know what I would do without him. He is always there to hug me when I'm down and brings me mint chocolate chip ice cream when I'm sad. He makes me laugh and keeps me talking long into the night. He is always looking out for me and I can't thank him enough. I can truly say that God blessed me with a great friend when He gave me my older brother.

​4. Strangers think I'm quiet, and my best friends can't get me to be quiet.​If you don't know me, you think I'm really quiet and shy. I hate small talk, and I'm also really bad at small talk. Which means I'm super awkward in social situations. I usually just keep my lips sealed and let everyone else talk while I observe. I can never come up with something to add to mere polite conversation. I actually have to rehearse what to say in my head when I know I'm meeting someone new, and I still sometimes fail.If you know me really well, you can never get me to shut up and you know that I'm really weird. I like to talk. So I talk a lot, about anything. Random facts are always spewing out of my mouth, and don't even get me started about work. I could talk about the vet clinic for hours upon hours because I absolutely LOVE it. Then there is God. I think I manage to bring Him into 80% of my conversations because He is just such a big part of my life. Plus, I like asking my friends random deep questions like the one over there in the side bar ->​5. I'm an introvert.​I like people, but they just wear me out. I can only be around them for so long before I absolutely need to have time for myself otherwise I'll go crazy. I have to spend at least 50% of my time alone or I get emotionally drained because I am so connected to others emotions that I put all of mine on hold until I'm alone. My alone time is when I figure out everything about everything.

6. God is the most important thing in my life. ​He's my number one. I hope that everything I do in my life reflects Him. Everything I do is affected by my faith in Him. He has blessed me so greatly and continues to do so. New lessons come every day become of God and I don't know how I could live without Him. He's my everything.

7. My favorite color is brown.​When I was little (probably around the age of seven) my grandma owned a flower shop. One day, my cousin Emily and I were looking at all the pretty bouquets. I pointed to a pretty pink daisy and proudly said "That's my favorite color." My cousin being much taller than me bent down to look me in the eye.​"You like pink?" I nodded my head and wiped the hair out of my face. "Well, my favorite color is brown. Pink is too cliché."​At the time I had no clue what cliché meant, but I understood that Emily like brown because it was different than everybody else. So I decided that I wanted to be different too and brown has been my favorite color from that day forward. It's just kind of stuck.

8. My favorite animal is the dog. ​I've grown up with four dogs at almost all times. We've mostly had labs, but we currently only have two. A brown lab named Dutchess and a black lab named Daizy. We also have a long haired dachshund named Keeli and a papillion named Marty. They mean the world to me. I could spend hours with my dogs and never get bored. Dutchess is a hunting dog who could fetch forever and every Sunday I take her and Daizy to the lake to play. Dogs are just amazing.

9. I've wanted to be a veterinarian since I was able to talk. ​It's my life long dream and I cannot wait until my future career can get started. I was that kid who brought home every single stray they came across and begged my parents to let me keep it. (Heck, I still do that.) Animals just have my heart. I can't help it. I just dream of saving all the sick animals in the world, and I'm so excited for college to start because it's the beginning of my crazy adventure.

​10. I am a tomboy.​I have definitely never been mistaken as a girly girl. My mom calls me her "Little Boy" because I've never been one to want to go shopping or get my nails done. When I was little I always wanted to play in the dirt with my brother, and I'd still much rather play in the dirt than paint my nails. Some of my favorite hobbies are hunting and fishing. (There is just something about being outside that makes my soul happy.) I don't like dresses. To me they are uncomfortable. I'd much rather wear boots and jeans or boots and shorts. My friends are always telling me to "be a girl for once", and I always laugh at them because I like it much better the way I am.

​I never dated anyone until shortly after my 16th birthday. My best friend (we'll call her Shy) was dating this odd country boy (we'll call him Jack) who had a best friend (Alex) that tagged along to just about everything they did together. Well, Shy and Jack started inviting me along to things to keep Alex entertained. I didn't really appreciate the gesture. I honestly loathed Alex when this started. But, it kept happening. We'd all four hang out all the time. Then Jack gave Alex my Snapchat. And of course I felt like an awful person if I didn't reply because he could if I had opened it. So I talked to him (sorta). I didn't really contribute to the conversation much, often replying with only one word. So, he had to work pretty hard to keep me talking. Then, we got a streak and obviously he wanted to keep it. One more excuse for him to talk to me right? Well, that's what he was thinking. I was following a different, less kind, trail of thought.

But, he eventually began to grow on me because he was rather persistent. He talked to me everyday on Snapchat and kept me talking for the majority of the day. I eventually started talking more because he appealed to my love of nature. He took a trip to Minnesota and visited Yellow Stone National Park. The pictures he sent me of the landscape...I fell in love with the park and I wasn't even there. He quickly used this to his advantage to get me talking. That's when he appealed to my nerdiness by sending me random bits of info about the park. The conversation quickly became easier to maintain. I started to find him rather charming. My cheeks would turn bright red when I messaged him, and I was constantly checking my phone. Eventually, he gave me his number, and I was always texting him.

​I fell for him slowly at first. Holding my heart at bay, afraid of getting hurt. So many other people have hurt me, and I was afraid that he would be one of them. When he asked me out, I almost said no. But he was so nervous and I could tell he had rehearsed. It was endearing, and I fell for him a little more in that moment.

​When we started dating, it was great, but as I began to like him more, I was a mess. Here, I had this amazing guy who would do anything for me. He was such a gentleman and so kind and caring. He made sure my every need was taken care of and always made sure I was ok. For crying out loud, he knew that he was the first guy I've ever dated and therefore also my first kiss, so he asked for permission before kissing me. But, that's not what I was looking at. I liked him, but I didn't really want to. He wouldn't go to church with me and that was really big. But bigger still was the fact that I was terrified that I liked him for all the wrong reasons. I was afraid that I liked him more because he was so kind and caring and less because he was him. And I compared him to boy's I had liked before. He also didn't give me butterflies which I thought was a huge issue because aren't boys your crushes supposed to do that? So naturally, I freaked out and broke up with him one month in.

We got back together not 24 hours later because I apologized and admitted why I freaked. I told him I was an indecisive idiot and that I probably should have talked to him about all this stuff before hand because relationships are all about communication. Plus, I hadn't even given him a chance. So he gave me a second chance.

A month later, he was my best friend and I told him literally everything. Three months in, the L-word started popping into my head. I wanted to tell him about it. But I was certain that it couldn't really be love. What does a 16 year old know about love? Nothing because 16 year olds are ignorant. I was scared. How could I feel so strongly for someone only after three months? I had this overwhelming need to break down all my walls and open my heart to him, and it terrified me because I've been hurt every time I've ever even begun to take a brick out of the walls that protect my heart. So naturally, instead of talking to him, I freaked out and broke up with him.

​24 hours later, I was laying in my bed, broken and crying as Mom came home from somewhere (I don't remember where). She laid beside me and asked what was wrong. I looked at her still crying and said "I made a mistake. I miss him. I miss him more than I've ever missed anything or anyone before. I feel like I'm missing something extremely important to me. There's an emptiness in my heart I've never felt before. I miss his messy house, his good morning text, his sweatshirts. I miss his voice. I'd give anything to listen to him talk about anything. I miss the sound of him bickering about fantasy football and singing along to the radio, not hitting a single note. I miss leaning against him as we watched his favorite show on Netflix. I miss the smell of his truck. I just miss him, all of him, every little thing about him. I miss all the annoying things he did."

​She smiled her knowing little mother smile and told me that she thought I loved him. I told her about why I broke up with him and how I didn't think someone my age could possibly be in love because we are so young. She laughed at me. "You have a lot to learn," and with that, she told me to call him. So, I did, but he didn't answer. I text him, but he didn't reply. I was on the verge of driving to his house when he showed up at my door. We went outside and sat in his truck to talk because it was pouring rain.

​"What's wrong?" His voice was choked and he wouldn't look at me.​"I love you," I said, but once the words were out everything else tumbled out with it. I rambled on and on telling him everything. I told him why I panicked, why I broke up with him, why I missed him, why I loved him, why I needed him to come back over to tell him all of this. I told him that I've never felt this way about someone else, that my feelings scared the crap out of me because I didn't understand them. I told him that if he still wanted nothing to do with me I would understand. I just thought he should know all of this other stuff before he decided. When I was finally done talking, he just kind of sat there. I could tell I caught him off guard and I was about to ask if he wanted me to leave when he said those three words back to me.

​And now, I've been dating him for a little over a year and let me tell you, those bumps were just the beginning. I'm rather insecure when it comes to my feelings, and I have a really hard time expressing how I feel. But because of him, I have come so far. We are slowly learning to work as a team and help each other with all of our insecurities. We are learning to talk instead of panic, talk instead of argue. We have had many issues for many reasons, but we have conquered all of them. We have come so far. We have learned so much. I have learned so much.

​I've never allowed myself to be so vulnerable in front of someone before. This boy has my heart. I am in love with him. In my head, I've always thought of love as something unbreakable, something that only brings joy. But I now realize that is a fairytale. It's as unrealistic as Peter Pan and Neverland. People fall in love all the time. That's why they get married right? But those marriages sometimes fall apart. I read a quote somewhere (probably on Pinterest) about how some people fall out of love for the same reasons they fell in love. And in my own personal experience, I've found that this happens because love is hard. It's hard because love is more than just an emotion. It's a commitment. It's saying I'm going to care for this person. I'm going to accept them, flaws and all. I'm going to love them even when they're annoying and angry and hateful. I'm not going to give up on them. I'm always going to be there for them even when I'm tired or mad.

​And being in love is more than simply saying, "I love you." It's your actions as well. You show your love when you take them on a date to their favorite restaurant or pick up their favorite snack on your way to their house. It's the sandwich you make them for their lunch break or the note you leave in their car. It's the goodnight call and the good morning text, the "How are you's" and the "wear your seatbelt's". You show your love for another person not in words, but in actions.

​And I feel like as teenagers, we often get into the mindset that love is just a feeling. But it's not. It is so much more.

People ask me all the time "Sam, why don't you wear makeup?" Well, the truth is that I just don't want to. I don't see a need to wear makeup. I am more comfortable with a blank face rather than a prettied up one. And here is why:

1. Dance. When I was in elementary school, I danced. I was in a dance class and we went to a select few competitions, but mostly had a bunch of recitals. Now, I don't know if you know anything about dance recitals, but the dancers go all out. We put on these fancy outfits and use so much hair spray that our hair is stiff. We also put on makeup, lots of nice makeup. I absolutely loved dancing, but I hated the makeup with a fiery passion. It took forever, and I never liked how I looked in it. And of course, after I stopped dancing, I just never felt the need to start wearing makeup.

​2. Society. I think our society places too much importance on makeup. Media is always telling women that they're not good enough and not pretty enough. We have society's definition of beautiful hanging over our heads at all times. We are pushed to try to look like movie stars and models. And the idea of looking like this "perfect Barbie" is just so unrealistic and yet it's shoved at us anyway. Makeup is another little thing that we are told we have to do to look pretty and I just don't buy it.

​3. Natural Beauty. I honestly prefer natural beauty. I think that every single girl in this world is prettier without makeup. God spent forever planning out how each and everyone of us would look. He created us in His image. I've always thought that His creations were so much more beautiful standing alone without the help of makeup and such.

​4. I just don't like it on me. Some people look absolutely stunning both with and without makeup, but I do not believe I am one of them. I do not appreciate what I look like with makeup on even if it's just mascara. It just doesn't look like me, and I don't like that. Plus, since I never wear makeup, I'm actually really self-conscious with it on. So, I just don't wear it.

NOTE: I am not saying you shouldn't wear makeup. I'm not saying you look bad with makeup. I'm just saying this is why I don't wear makeup.

This is my favorite poem...​Two little lines I heard one day,Traveling along life’s busy way;Bringing conviction to my heart,And from my mind would not depart;Only one life, twill soon be past,Only what’s done for Christ will last.Only one life, yes only one,Soon will its fleeting hours be done;Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,And stand before His Judgement seat;Only one life,’twill soon be past,Only what’s done for Christ will last.Only one life, the still small voice,Gently pleads for a better choiceBidding me selfish aims to leave,And to God’s holy will to cleave;Only one life, ’twill soon be past,Only what’s done for Christ will last.Only one life, a few brief years,Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;Each with its clays I must fulfill,living for self or in His will;Only one life, ’twill soon be past,Only what’s done for Christ will last.When this bright world would tempt me sore,When Satan would a victory score;When self would seek to have its way,Then help me Lord with joy to say;Only one life, ’twill soon be past,Only what’s done for Christ will last.Give me Father, a purpose deep,In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;Faithful and true what e’er the strife,Pleasing Thee in my daily life;Only one life, ’twill soon be past,Only what’s done for Christ will last.Oh let my love with fervor burn,And from the world now let me turn;Living for Thee, and Thee alone,Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;Only one life, “twill soon be past,Only what’s done for Christ will last.Only one life, yes only one,Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;And when at last I’ll hear the call,I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;Only one life,’twill soon be past,Only what’s done for Christ will last. ”— extra stanza --Only one life, ’twill soon be past,Only what’s done for Christ will last.And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee

The other day, I missed church. So I decided that I wanted to still connect with God on a church-like level, so I turned to YouTube. I searched "sermons by great preachers", and clicked on a random one. Well, it was a very good sermon and it challenged me in many ways, so I thought I would share it with you guys. Here is the video if you want to watch it. But, if you don't want to I'll tell you the jist of it down below.

A sum of Jeff Durbin's words:

​Romans 1:8, "You're faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world." Keep in mind, this is right after the resurrection. Christian faith was huge, and vastly talked about, but today, this is not the always the story. The church is growing vastly in countries where our faith is persecuted, but in countries where our faith is accepted, the church is not growing as much. America is one of those countries that isn't growing in the church. Why is that? What happened? This is a problem. We are creating a problem.

​In Luke 14, Jesus has a thousand or more following him. He turns to his followers and says, "If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison - your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters - yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you don't carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26-27). Jesus was being bold. He was pretty much telling everyone around Him to come die. Come die and rise again or don't come at all. This caused everyone but the 12 disciples to turn away.

ALL BUT 12 PEOPEL TURNED AWAY! I know you are thinking, "Wow. Why would He do that? Doesn't he want all of them to follow Him? Doesn't that mean that His ministry is growing?" Well, the thing is, Jesus didn't just want a lot of followers. He didn't just want church growth. He wants people who will grow in Him, people who are willing to risk everything, people who are willing to die for their faith in Him.

​Jesus was bold, and that boldness is where our problem lies. We aren't BOLD enough. We sugar coat repentance and hell. We always take the gentle route for explaining our faith because we are afraid of hurting people's feelings, but this isn't what Jesus did. This isn't what the disciples did. Look at Paul for example. In acts, it says that people were trying to kill Paul because of his teachings, but he kept teaching anyways. He didn't start being gentle with his words. He continued to be bold. He was continuing to risk everything to tell as many people as he could about God!

​When Peter was arrested, he asked "What is the charge you have against Christians?" ​They replied, "You are filling Jerusalem with your teachings!"

​"Your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world." Romans 1:8. The disciple's boldness was making the church grow, really grow. They were risking everything including their lives, and they were impacting people. So why do we think that we can get away without being bold? We are called to be bold, "baptizing all nations in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19-20) ALL NATIONS, and America doesn't even rank. We need to be bold.

​Jeff then talked about how he goes to the abortion facilities to preach, to evangelize. People always tell him, "No! That's a little too 'in your face'," and he always replies by saying, "If we don't go to the hard places, people don't hear the gospel!"

​Our message isn't to just gain followers. It's to make disciples. The message is to repent, have faith, and be reconciled with God. We are not just sick in sin. We are dead in sin, and the only one who can help us is God. We have to be bold.

Quote:

"Anyone can show up when you're happy. But the ones who stay by your side when your heart falls apart, they are your true friends."​-Unknown

Author

I am Samantha, and my goal for this blog is to basically share my experiences as a teenager. Basically, ​I am a teen. I have many hopes and dreams, many fears and insecurities that I let hold me back. There is so much that goes on in my life. Sometimes it is a struggle, and that is what this blog is about.Learn more on my 'ABOUT' page!​